In recent years, consumers have become more aware of the ingredients contained in their cosmetic formulations and there has been a push for more natural materials or raw materials sourced from natural origins. Nail enamel compositions have lagged behind this trend primarily due to the difficulties with finding an alternative to nitrocellulose. Also, nail enamels typically contain harsh solvents such as butyl acetate, ethyl acetate and alcohols, which affects perception of the products.
Recently, water-based nail enamels have emerged as an alternative to nail enamels that contain harsh chemicals. The primary film former found in water-based nail enamels is typically a polymer or copolymer dispersed in water (latex or latex blend). Nail compositions containing latex are disclosed, for example, in U.S. 2017/0014329, U.S. 2014/0328780, U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,790,669, and 8,889,108. However, these nail compositions are not ideal and they tend to underperform in terms of their wear properties and their removability can be very difficult compared to their nitrocellulose-based counterparts.
There remains a need for nail compositions which are safe and adhere well to nails, yet which can be easily removed with less damage to nails and with more time efficiency.